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randy88fj62
Trad climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 13, 2016 - 10:25am PT
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I wanted to make my own portaledge and so I started with what I thought would be the hardest parts. I got some input and made the corners. This will accept OD 7/8, .035" wall, 4130 tubing.
1 inch OD Titanium -6Al -4V (aka T64) was in my garage so why not use it?
Drawing:
The titanium was machined to make half the corners so 8 total pieces were machined:
Then the material was tacked together to form the corners:
The experienced welder did his thing (not me):
Now you can't weld Titanium and be done. T64 needs to be stress relieved and then preferably aged to bring the hardness and ultimate tensile strength up. For this you need a Kiln capable of accurately going up to 1,000 degrees F for 4 hours.
T64 (and titanium in general) cannot be aged in an oxygen environment. It causes an alpha white layer that will crack badly at your welds. To do this you apply 'stopoff' on the part to prevent oxygen from touching it then you put it in an argon environment during the aging process.
Argon purging out oxygen prior to bake:
4 hours later and slow cool to ambient we have mostly finished 6.2oz each corners:
More to come as the weeks roll by.
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Lambone
Big Wall climber
Ashland, Or
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Aug 13, 2016 - 10:45am PT
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cool, I hope they are easier top put together then my stupid name brand portaledge.
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Prod
Trad climber
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Aug 13, 2016 - 10:47am PT
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Nice.
Prod.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Aug 13, 2016 - 11:37am PT
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Pretty. Thanks for posting.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Aug 13, 2016 - 11:41am PT
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cool. But titanium is not light, is it necessary?
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randy88fj62
Trad climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 13, 2016 - 11:57am PT
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Studly,
Titanium is definitely not necessary but I had it laying around. I can always make lighter ones in the future. I am pretty new to big wall climbing with only 100ish pitches of aid under my belt and two nights on the wall.
What weight are the corners on name brand portaledges? Fish uses solid Al but drills holes in the center for bungee so they are around 3.5 oz i'm guessing? So that's a difference of 10oz?
I don't plan on a light portaledge. I think I may make it 90" long. Being 6'5" makes me want a longer one.
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ecdh
climber
the east
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Aug 13, 2016 - 04:41pm PT
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yeah thats cool. i now know 500% more about titanium than i did 10 mins ago. just as objects they are nice things.
will be keen to see how this all turns out.
if you could produce a clusterf*#kless suspension system youd be up for a Nobel (all respect to the original designers who no doubt did they best they could).
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SalNichols
Big Wall climber
Richmond, CA
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Aug 13, 2016 - 05:29pm PT
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You can bore out those IDs you know...
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 13, 2016 - 05:31pm PT
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Fine quality workmanship, top notch .....
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Aug 13, 2016 - 06:07pm PT
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Awesome job! Since you had the material, I'm sure it was a fun project in its own right.
I've had good success going the "other way." While you have your tubes going over your corners, I've used aluminum blocks and drilled into them on two adjacent faces, enabling the tubes to slide into the blocks to form the corners. I get a very, very rigid result this way with virtually no frame-bow and no need for a center brace. And the aluminum is light.
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randy88fj62
Trad climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 6, 2016 - 08:14am PT
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The long weekend was fruitful. Had some time to put in on the portaldge.
Titanium corners
4130 seamless tube
4130 sleeves to connect long tubes, sleeve fish eye welded in place to one of the tubes
Portaledge main material 210d packcloth
portaledge back up material (blue) 410d packcloth (heavy but I had it laying around)
Brown side protection is 16 oz hypalon.
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Killer craftsmanship.....and I like the colors. Auburn University colors. My alma mater. WAR EAGLE!
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randy88fj62
Trad climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 12, 2016 - 07:50am PT
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Got the main bed mostly done. Just need support fins and suspension.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Sep 12, 2016 - 09:52am PT
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Very impressive!
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AlanDoak
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Sep 12, 2016 - 09:52am PT
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Very cool, I love engineering projects that end up in something you can use.
I dunno, would a zig-zag stitch have been a better choice than a straight stitch on the long side pockets? I'm genuinely curious, it's a high stress location, can anyone educate us?
Also, I'm curious about your adjustment method on the 6 cords. Is it easily adjustable under load? Make sure you have plenty of adjustment range to account for various slopes and such. And, I'd suggest clip loops of some sort on the 6 guy lines to organize gear. Also, a top-center strong point that's human rated is very useful, particularly if you're using a fly.
I didn't care for the 6 carabiners at first, but they double as a handy clip in point for gear, I suppose.
Thanks for sharing!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Sep 12, 2016 - 11:01am PT
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fun project
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randy88fj62
Trad climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 12, 2016 - 11:57am PT
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AlanDoak,
The suspension system isn't done. The cord was quickly rigged with carabiners clipped to the load points. I wanted to make sure it all held together and didn't need repair.
Still needs:
-Two center fins with cup holders and zipperd pockets
-Adjustable suspension system with 1" cam buckles.
-Haul Bag
Rain fly is separate project as far as I'm concerned. Already sketched out the funky angles (fractals) and purchased material/tent pole.
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BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
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Sep 12, 2016 - 12:37pm PT
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Looks awesome Randy!
Nice fish! and is that a "Coiler" painting on your mantle?
Have you thought about a middle spreader bar?
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randy88fj62
Trad climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 12, 2016 - 12:52pm PT
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No "coiler" painting on my wall. Just outdoor art from me or friends.
I made the portaledge 50" wide which maxed out the width of the material I bought. My goal was to keep it at a reasonable width to avoid a spreader bar. The massive wide portaledge made by metolius needs a spreader bar.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Sep 12, 2016 - 12:57pm PT
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Good choice with the Titanium. I have lots of Titanium just lying around the house and garage. Doesn't everyone?
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SalNichols
Big Wall climber
Richmond, CA
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Sep 12, 2016 - 01:21pm PT
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I'd dump the carabiners for spectra soft shackles.Lighter, secure as hell, (at least as secure as a locker)and still detachable.
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randy88fj62
Trad climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 12, 2016 - 01:27pm PT
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Sal,
carabiners were for quick check of portaledge before moving on to the Fins and Suspension system. I'll be using 1" flat webbing with 1" cam buckles for the 8 suspension adjustment points.
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ecdh
climber
the east
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Sep 12, 2016 - 02:22pm PT
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impressive.
over long hours sitting in these things ive spent lots of time dreaming up design ideas, most of which evaporate at the first sign of reality and/or the skill to actually do anything about it. kudos for rolling up your sleeves and making it happen.
be interested to see your fin/suspension storage ideas. ive always though more dedicated clip loops would be nice, and that those cup holder things would be better as proper zipped pockets accessible from both sides of the fin.
and if you make a fly with a window in it - locate the window about 30cm lower so you can actually see out the damned thing when sitting down.
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randy88fj62
Trad climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 12, 2016 - 03:29pm PT
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ecdh,
Thanks for the comments. I'll see how the fins go this evening. Plans and sketches versus reality is always different.
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ecdh
climber
the east
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Sep 12, 2016 - 03:38pm PT
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Keep us posted.
Im usually in a team of 2 in a 2 person BD and the fins are both the nicest and hardest thing about it.
Sitting against the wall a single middle fin is the go (so extra storage on that would be nice) but then sleeping we drop it and put the two outer find up.
With a little jiggerypokery this could be refined a bit i think. It certainly works well enough to deserve it.
You metal heads are alchemists. If youre good on a sewing machine thats a sweet skillset to have.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Sep 12, 2016 - 05:28pm PT
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nice looking welds--
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FTOR
Sport climber
CA
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Sep 12, 2016 - 07:14pm PT
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one observation. its best not to have too tight of fit with your joints. remember you're in an environment that's all dirt, chalk dust and grime. it's a real drag if you can't knock these down easily or if it won't come apart at all. been there, done that. nice work.
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Al Barkamps
Social climber
Red Stick
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Sep 12, 2016 - 07:39pm PT
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+1 for the comment above....
Corner suspension points should be fixed to the corner titanium, like, say, an eye bolt or something clever. I see nothing but problems with that webbing sliding over the corners when unfurling on a windy day. Plus, corners get beat to sh#t.
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Sep 12, 2016 - 08:04pm PT
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Why didnt you shoe up at the Stoney BBQ?
Nice art project
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Sep 13, 2016 - 02:26am PT
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I'll be using 1" flat webbing with 1" cam buckles for the 8 suspension adjustment points.
I am in the process of transitioning my ledge trapeze from flat webbing to perlon cord. The thin webbing I am using now tends to get twisted and bunched up in the buckles.
Have you ever seen a British ship of the main with webbing for rigging?
No.
I will use the same 2:1 pulley configuration I am using with the webbing, and use some custom mini-jumars at the ends of the ropes for adjustment.
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randy88fj62
Trad climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 13, 2016 - 10:34am PT
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Got about 70% done with the fins last night. Fin Body made with 1680d Cordura Nylon. The draw string nalgene pouch which can double as a storage pouch made from leftover 210d pack cloth. The back large zippered pocket is made from vinyl netting.
Fly Material comes in tomorrow. Found a rough design online I liked in metric units so I made my own drawing to make at the shop:
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randy88fj62
Trad climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 15, 2016 - 08:15am PT
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TWO questions:
1
Going to be sewing the fins on this evening. Can anyone tell me what length their portaledge straps are? Or the height from middle of bed to straps/anchor?
Trying to figure out how long my suspensions straps need to be.
2
Bungee and frame:
Was thinking of running a bungee through the entire frame but I realized it will not fold up well if I do that. The Pika single ledge I inspected teminated the bungee at the end of the long pole sections and the short cross poles were attached via cord instead of bungee.
What is standard for double portaledges? What approach would be best/easiest when making your own?
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randy88fj62
Trad climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 22, 2016 - 11:55am PT
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Ready for the Prow tomorrow:
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Captain...or Skully
climber
Boise, ID
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Sep 22, 2016 - 12:03pm PT
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That looks great! Hope it works for you. Bring tape.
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OlympicMtnBoy
climber
Seattle
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Sep 22, 2016 - 07:28pm PT
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That is sweet! Only took you like a month, my projects take forever!
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WBraun
climber
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Sep 23, 2016 - 08:11am PT
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WOW .... what a pro!
Nice workmanship ....
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PAUL SOUZA
Trad climber
Central Valley, CA
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Sep 23, 2016 - 11:46am PT
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Nice job!
...WOOT!!
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WyoRockMan
climber
Grizzlyville, WY
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Sep 23, 2016 - 12:02pm PT
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Strong work! Way cool.
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randy88fj62
Trad climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 26, 2016 - 09:31am PT
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Portaledge worked like a charm. Made a minor mistake as sewed daisy chain loops too high up on the suspension straps causing us to not be able to max adjust angles. We were able to work around it but I'll be relocating the daisy chain loops down lower.
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| Messages 1 - 39 of total 39 in this topic |
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